A Will to win

By MATT LEVINS mlevins@thehawkeye.com

Wednesday

Feb 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Will Carr will be the first to admit he is not the most talented player on the basketball court. You won't see any crossover dribbles, no slashing drives to the basket, no double or triple moves to get himself space to launch a shot.

Those are not in Carr's arsenal, have never been his forte.

But when it comes to putting a body on someone, throwing an elbow or two to get position for a rebound, diving on the floor for a loose ball, setting a screen to get a teammate an open shot, those are right up Carr's alley.

When it comes to hard work on the basketball court, Carr takes a backseat to no one.

Carr, a graduate of Warsaw High School and a junior center on the University of Alabama-Huntsville men's basketball team, is averaging 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game coming off the bench for the Chargers. Carr has helped Alabama-Huntsville to a 21-4 start this season and a No. 8 ranking in NCAA Division II.

He gives his team valuable minutes off the bench, doing the dirty work that most players don't enjoy doing.

For Carr, where there is a will, there is a way.

"I try to go in and play as well as I can for as long as I can. I do my best to help my team any way I can," Carr said. "I do the dirty work. I rebound and try to be physical. I play really hard and do the things most people don't like to do. I enjoy that. I enjoy being physical."

While some players will coast, take a play or two off here and there, rest on defense to get ready for offense, Carr never takes a play off. That value was instilled in him during his playing days at West Hancock under coach Reno Pinkston. Pinkston taught Carr the value of hard work, to treasure every possession of the ball, to play your best every minute on the court. Those values have helped Carr succeed at a high level.

"I love Coach Pinkston. He's a tough coach, but he taught me a lot about playing hard and giving 100 percent every possession," Carr said. "He taught me to never take a play off. When you've got a chance to dive for a ball, dive for it. I have a great relationship with Coach Pinkston. I see him every time I get back (to Warsaw) and he calls me quite a bit just to talk. He's a great coach. He could take four guys with no talent and a lawn chair and figure out a way to win. He's a very talented coach."

Carr, who has packed on inches and pounds since his playing days at Warsaw, packs plenty of wallop on the court. That comes in large part from his work in the weight room, something Carr looks forward to every day. Pumping iron gets Carr's blood pumping and fuels his fire for the work he does on the court.

"Our practices during the season are pretty easy, but that's to allow our bodies time to recuperate between games," Carr said. "I love to be in the weight room. I love pushing the weights around. My job is to be the strongest guy out there."

That extra work included a trip to Colorado last summer, where Carr participated in a Pro-Am league for five weeks. He also worked with Marcus Mason, personal trainer for Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers. Carr said he plans to spend 10 weeks there this summer.

"There are a lot of overseas guys and college guys out there," Carr said. "It's a great opportunity to get better and get seen by a lot of pro coaches."

Carr, who played a season at John Wood Community College before transferring to Alabama-Huntsville last season, has the Chargers poised to make another deep run in the postseason. Alabama-Huntsville has advanced to the Elite Eight each of the last two seasons. Carr averaged nine points and had 41 blocked shots during his sophomore season. This year, the Chargers are anxious to take that next step.

Alabama-Huntsville plays host to Shorter Saturday night in the regular-season finale, where they have a chance to wrap up the Gulf South Conference title. The conference tournament is set for March 7-10. If Alabama-Huntsville moves up to No. 1 in the regional rankings today, they could host the NCAA South Regional March 16-19.

The Chargers have been to the Elite Eight the last two years. This year, they have their sights much higher.

"We want to win a national championship. We have the team capable of doing it," Carr said. "The last two years we've gone to the Elite Eight and lost in the first round. We want to go farther. We want to win a national championship. We have the type of team that can do it. There are a lot more games to get there."

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Extras

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Hawk Eye Newspaper ~ 800 South Main Street, PO Box 10, Burlington, IA 52601-0010 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service